Your children are a major part of your life, and that’s why it’s so frustrating that you’re having to go through a divorce. You know that a divorce is going to disrupt them and cause a lot of anxieties. Even in the best-case situation, they are going to have questions, fears and anxieties that you must address.
When you’re going through a divorce, your children must come first. That’s why one of the first things you should discuss is your child custody schedule.
Your child custody schedule doesn’t have to mirror anyone else’s, which is what is so wonderful about it. You and your spouse can talk about an arrangement that you both think will work and implement it, even if that seems unusual to outsiders. For example, maybe you’ll have custody for one month at a time because it allows you both to adjust your work schedules to share more time at home when your kids are with you. Perhaps you’ll make arrangements to work alternating job schedules and switch custody every morning or night. Depending on how closely you live together, there are plenty of options for your kids to see both of you regularly.
Is there a custody schedule that children benefit from most?
There is not a specific schedule that is used most, but something that will help you is realizing that your children or child needs stability. So, if you decide to alternate weeks, you should make sure that you stick to that schedule as often as possible. Children also do better when they share time with both parents relatively equally.
If you can, add flexibility to your arrangements, so there won’t be disputes about what happens if your child is sick or decides to go on a trip with friends. Talk about every possible scenario, so you have a game plan for how to handle your custody arrangements moving forward.
When you talk to your attorney, you can present a custody schedule if you and your partner have already discussed what you’d like to do. As long as it is agreeable and fair, your attorney can draw it up into a binding document and submit it to a judge for approval. What matters most in cases like these is that both parents are on the same page and willing to work together to create a situation that is in their children’s best interests.
